The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday upheld the election of Senator Sharafadeen Alli of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier on Monday, the tribunal dismissed the petition of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and its Oyo South Senatorial Candidate, Funmilola Gbogbolomo against Senator Alli on the grounds that the petition was incompetent.
Dismissing the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Joseph Tegbe, the tribunal In the judgment, however, the tribunal held that the signatures of the majority of the witnesses, who introduced themselves as PDP polling agents during te election, did not match on the documents signed at their respective polling units and the ones on their statements on oath.
The tribunal held that one of the witnesses, when docked, said he did not make the statement on oath ascribed to him and that the signature on it was not him own and that the witnesses did not provide any means of identification, such as identity cards that would show they worked as PDP polling agents on the day of the election.
It stressed that the statements on oath for some of the petitioners’ witnesses said they were males, whereas men made appearance before the special court.
On the allegation of over-voting, the tribunal stressed that the petitioners failed to rely on voter register to establish over-voting, adding that the voter register is an integral part of proving the allegation, and that the Electoral Act has not abolished voters register.
According to the tribunal, Every register, must have found his or her name in the voter register and the name would be ticked at each polling unit, before the register would be made to go through Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for accreditation.
The tribunal emphasised that the evidences presented before it by the petitioners were not credible and difficult to believe, saying: “The petitioners have failed to present cogent, reliable, and compelling evidence, sufficient to affect te results of the poll” as declared by INEC.
On the issue of reconfiguration of BVAS, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove that reconfiguration of the BVAS for the purpose of conducting governorship and house of assembly polls, did not mean that all the data on the system had been erased. It stated further that the petitioners should have called INEC to answer questions on reconfiguration of the BVAS.
Reacting to the tribunal verdict, Senator Alli who described the judgment of the Tribunal as a reaffirmation that his electoral victory in February 25 election was well-deserved expressed appreciation to God as well as the people of Oyo South senatorial district who gave him their mandate and stood by him throughout the process.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful to God for the victory at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal. My sincere appreciation to the people of Oyo South Senatorial District who gave me their mandate and have stood by me throughout this process”, he said.
Senator Alli added, “The outcome of the tribunal’s verdict reaffirms that the election was won in a transparent and fair manner, and my victory was well-deserved”.
